Economic Hardships and Political Engagement: A Multilevel Analysis

The link between the economic context and electoral participation has not been clearly established in the literature. While certain scholars argue that economic hardships depress political engagement because citizens have more pressing concerns; other studies suggest that economic crises generate more participation instead as citizens turn out to sanction the incumbent government. The empirical record on this question is mixed. Using a large dataset with data from 4 regional survey barometers (LAPOP, Asian Barometer, European Social Surveys, and Afrobarometer), I provide a comprehensive test of this relationship. I find no uniform effect of economic crisis on turnout, but certain “fragile” sectors of society (unemployed and low-income groups) are more likely to vote when the country suffers economic hardships.